NOTTINGHAM FOREST 5 -- DERBY 2

MARCUS TUDGAY will be scouring the local estate agents in Derby to sell his house. It might not be advisable for him to stay there much longer after the damage he did to his former team at the City Ground.

Tudgay’s previous connections with Nottingham Forest’s rivals led to a muted reception when he arrived at the other end of the A52 on loan deadline day. Any doubts about his allegiances to Billy Davies’ promotion quest were blown away with the two goals that help settle this long-standing spiteful argument.

He will complete his £400,000 move to Forest from Sheffield Wednesday next month and Forest will gladly pay the fee after the impact he had in giving Davies the last laugh over Nigel Clough.

The win stretched Forest’s unbeaten record at home to 30 matches and left Derby mulling over a fifth successive loss.

Tensions between Davies and Clough had spilled over in previous matches. In a bid for calm, Davies made a point of walking way beyond his own dug-out prior to kick-off to shake hands with his opposite number. It was the smile before the retribution as within 90 seconds his side had knifed the old Forest stalwart in the back and released all the pent up frustration of not playing for 11 days.

There was nothing clever about the first goal, but it was effective. Radoslaw Majewski’s deep corner was powerfully met by Luke Chambers and Stephen Bywater’s right hand was not strong enough to prevent it finding the top corner.

Derby had only won once in the last 33 years at Forest and arrived on the back of four straight defeats, but were level when Alberto Bueno’s pass released Luke Moore to outpace Wes Morgan and the on-loan West Brom striker’s shot went through Lee Camp and struck the bar before bouncing over the line.

Bywater had to produce saves to prevent Majewski and Robert Earnshaw from restoring Forest’s lead, but he was powerless to prevent Marcus Tudgay heading in off the underside of the bar from Earnshaw’s cross

Only the Derby goalkeeper’s intervention denied Earnshaw a third for Forest after Aaron Ramsey’s pass cut the visitors to shreds moments later.

Forest did get their third before the break though when Nathan Tyson’s driving run and low cross presented Tudgay with his second from close range.

Goals were exchanged in a flurry the other side of the break. Earnshaw finally added Forest’s fourth, against his old club. Tyson exposed Dean Leacock’s lack of pace to cross for Earnshaw to prod in.

Kris Commons’ at least silenced the resounding jeers his every touch was greeted with against his old club when he collected his 13th goal of the season when his 20-yard free-kick flew under the wall to beat Lee Camp.

Derby failed to build on it and defeat was confirmed in the final minute when Earnshaw added his second after Shaun Barker’s error in his own penalty area.